Part 12 (1/2)

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 7 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs

6.

Salads

Greek Salad This is a wonderful, filling, fresh-tasting salad we never get tired of.

1 large head romaine lettuce 1 cup (60 g) chopped fresh parsley cuc.u.mber, sliced 1 green pepper, sliced Greek Lemon Dressing (page 172) sweet red onion, thinly sliced into rings 12 to 15 Greek olives 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges 4 to 6 ounces (115 to 170 g) feta cheese, crumbled Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil (if desired) Wash and dry your romaine and break or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cut up and add the parsley, cuc.u.mber, and green pepper. (You can do this step ahead of time, if you like, which makes this salad very doable on a weeknight.) Just before serving, pour on the Greek dressing and toss the salad like crazy.

Arrange the onions, olives, and tomatoes artistically on top and sprinkle the crumbled feta in the middle. You can also add the anchovies at this point, if you know that everybody likes them, but I prefer to make them available for those who like them to put on their individual serving.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 16 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber, for a total of 10 grams of usable carbs and 11 grams of protein.

Autumn Salad The flavor contrasts in this salad are lovely, and I've kept the pear to a quant.i.ty that won't add too many carbs.

2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter cup (60 g) chopped walnuts 10 cups (200 g) loosely packed a.s.sorted greens (romaine, red leaf lettuce, and fresh spinach) sweet red onion, thinly sliced cup (60 ml) olive oil 2 teaspoons wine vinegar 2 teaspoons lemon juice teaspoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard [image]teaspoon salt [image]teaspoon pepper ripe pear, chopped [image]cup (40 g) crumbled blue cheese Melt the b.u.t.ter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and let them toast in the b.u.t.ter, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

While the walnuts are toasting-and make sure you keep an eye on them and don't burn them-wash and dry your greens and put them in salad bowl with the onion. Toss with the oil first. Then combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper and add that to the salad bowl. Toss until everything is well covered.

Top the salad with the pear, the warm toasted walnuts, and the crumbled blue cheese; serve.

Yield: 4 generous servings 4 generous servings Each with 13 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of usable carbs and 10 grams of protein.

Cla.s.sic Spinach Salad 4 cups (80 g) fresh spinach [image]large, sweet red onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoons Splenda small onion, grated [image]teaspoon dry mustard Salt and pepper 2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, and crumbled 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped Wash the spinach very well and dry. Tear up the larger leaves. Combine with the onion in a salad bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix up the oil, vinegar, tomato paste, Splenda, onion, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the spinach and onion and toss.

Top the salad with the bacon and egg; serve.

Yield: 2 generous servings 2 generous servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.

Spinach-Strawberry Salad This salad is simply extraordinary! For my money, this is the best salad in this book. If you don't try a single other salad recipe, try this one! It's beautiful, too, and very nutritious.

1 pound (455 g) bagged, prewashed baby spinach 1 batch Sweet Poppy Seed Vinaigrette (page 171) 1 cup (170 g) sliced strawberries 3 tablespoons (25 g) slivered almonds, toasted cup (60 g) crumbled feta cheese Put the baby spinach in a big salad bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss well. Top the with strawberries, almonds, and feta and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 8 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 6 g usable carbs.

Summer Treat Spinach Salad Worried about where you'll get your pota.s.sium now that you're not eating bananas? Each serving of this salad has more pota.s.sium than three bananas!

2 pounds (910 g) raw spinach 1 ripe black avocado cantaloupe cup (15 g) alfalfa sprouts 2 scallions, sliced French Vinaigrette Dressing (page 169) Wash the spinach very well and dry. Tear up the larger leaves.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and the peel, and cut into chunks.

Peel and chunk the cantaloupe or use a melon baller.

Add the avocado and cantaloupe to the spinach, along with the alfalfa sprouts and scallions. Toss with the vinaigrette right before serving.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 11 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber, for a total of 6 grams of usable carbs and 5 grams of protein.

Dinner Salad Italiano 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and broken up 1 cup (70 g) sliced fresh mushrooms cuc.u.mber, sliced sweet red onion, thinly sliced pound (225 g) sliced salami, cut into strips pound (225 g) sliced provolone, cut into strips Italian or vinaigrette dressing (bottled, or page 169) 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges Make a big tossed salad from the lettuce, mushrooms, cuc.u.mber, onion, salami, and provolone. Toss with Italian or vinaigrette dressing and then add the sliced tomatoes and serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 17 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber, for a total of 11 grams of usable carbs and 36 grams of protein.

Orange, Avocado, and Bacon Salad 8 cups (160 g) mixed greens Citrus Dressing (page 172) navel orange black avocado 6 slices bacon, cooked and drained [image]red onion Put your greens in a big mixing bowl and pour the dressing over them. Toss well.

Peel your half-orange and separate the sections; halve each one again. Slice the avocado, crumble the bacon, and slice the red onion paper-thin. Now strew everything artfully over the greens and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 6 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.

Mixed Greens with Warm Brie Dressing This elegant dinner party fare is a carbohydrate bargain with lots of flavor.

6 cups (120 g) torn romaine lettuce, washed and dried 6 cups (120 g) torn red leaf lettuce, washed and dried 2 cups (40 g) torn radicchio, washed and dried 1 cup (60 g) chopped fresh parsley 4 scallions, thinly sliced, including the crisp part of the green shoot cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil small onion, minced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 6 ounces (170 g) Brie, rind removed, cut into small chunks cup (60 ml) sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard Put the lettuces, radicchio, parsley, and scallions in a large salad bowl and keep cold.

Put the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Melt in the Brie, one chunk at a time, continuously stirring with a whisk. (It'll look dreadful at first, but don't sweat it.) When all the cheese is melted in, whisk in the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring all the while, until your dressing is smooth and thick. Pour over the salad and toss.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 3 of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 8 grams of protein.

Chef's Salad 10 cups (200 g) romaine, iceberg, red leaf, or any other favorite lettuce pound (115 g) deli turkey breast pound (115 g) deli ham pound (115 g) deli roast beef pound (115 g) Swiss cheese 1 green pepper, cut into strips or rings sweet red onion, cut into rings 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered 2 ripe tomatoes, cut vertically into 8 wedges each Salad dressing Make nice beds of the lettuce on 4 serving plates.

Cut the turkey, ham, roast beef, and Swiss cheese into strips. (It's nice, by the way, to get fairly thickly sliced meat and cheese for this.) Arrange all of this artistically on the beds of lettuce and garnish with the pepper, onion, eggs, and tomatoes. Let each diner add his or her own dressing.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 13 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 9 grams of usable carbs and 37 grams of protein. (a.n.a.lysis does not include salad dressing.) This salad is infinitely variable, of course; if you don't eat ham, hate roast beef, or love Swiss cheese, feel free to play around with these instructions. I only put down amounts so we could a.n.a.lyze the carb count and give you a guide to work from.

Vietnamese Salad This really exotic tossed salad from Southeast Asia makes a great first course!

4 cups (80 g) romaine lettuce, broken up 4 cups (80 g) torn b.u.t.ter lettuce 3 scallions, sliced, including the crisp part of the green shoot 1 ruby red grapefruit 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice 1 teaspoons chili garlic paste 2 tablespoons (15 g) chopped peanuts cup (32 g) chopped cilantro cup (12.8 g) chopped fresh mint Wash and dry your lettuce, combine it, and then divide it onto 4 salad plates.

Slice your scallions and scatter over the lettuce.

Halve your grapefruit and use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to cut around each section to loosen. Divide the grapefruit sections between the salads.

Mix together the Splenda, fish sauce, lime juice, and chili paste. Drizzle equal amounts of the dressing over each salad. Then top each portion with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and mint and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 4 g protein; 14 g carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 10 g usable carbs.

Our Favorite Salad We've served this salad over and over, and we never tire of it. This dressing tastes a lot like Caesar, but it's less trouble, and there's no blender to wash afterwards.

1 clove garlic cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 head romaine cup (30 g) chopped fresh parsley green pepper, diced cuc.u.mber, quartered and sliced sweet red onion 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) lemon juice 2 to 3 teaspoons Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges Crush the clove of garlic in a small bowl, cover it with the olive oil, and set it aside.

Wash and dry your romaine, break it up into a bowl, and add the parsley, pepper, cuc.u.mber, and onion. Pour the garlic-flavored oil over the salad and toss until every leaf is covered.

Sprinkle on the lemon juice and toss again. Then sprinkle on the Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce and toss again. Finally, sprinkle on the Parmesan and toss one last time. Top with the tomatoes and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 7 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.